44- Reducing Incontinence by Retraining the Female Pelvic Floor

Reducing Incontinence by Retraining the Female Pelvic Floor

Roughly 1 in 4 women suffer from some form of Pelvic Floor Dysfunction (PFD). There could be quite a few areas within the pelvic floor that might not function properly, but the most common issue is incontinence. Nearly 1 in 5 women suffer from urinary incontinence, which makes up the majority of PFDs.

For an issue that is so widely spread across our communities, many of the conversations aren't about ways to improve these issues. Most people assume that incontinence is just a byproduct of getting older.

However, Christina Christie doesn't agree with that statement. She is a pelvic floor specialist, and she says that no amount of incontinence is normal. Instead of assuming that incontinence is just a natural part of life, she stepped back to find what the root causes of incontinence might be.

What Causes Incontinence Issues

Many times we see incontinence issues during and right after a woman gives birth. This is because your body releases hormones that help to relax the muscles and tissues around the pelvic floor to make the birthing process easier.

After giving birth, many women go back to their old exercise routines (if they have any). They start to exercise in a way to lose the baby weight, or to get back in shape. They focus on all the main muscle groups of the body, except one:

The Pelvic-Core.

Just like anywhere else in the body, the pelvic floor needs to be retrained. The work Christina Christie is doing to support women with the retraining phase for the pelvic floor has been phenomenal, and many women have massive reduction in incontinence.

In this episode, Christina Christie and I discuss:

»What are the differences between pelvic floors of men and women

»What happens to the female pelvic floor during pregnancy

»How training the pelvic floor during pregnancy can actually help for the recovery after birth

»Strategies for improving incontinence issues

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Shownotes

[3:10] What brought you into physical therapy

[7:50] Back when you went through PT school, did they teach anything about the pelvic floor (other than kegels)

[9:50] Is there a difference between the female and male pelvic floor

[12:45] How does pregnancy change the pelvic floor in women

[15:00] After pregnancy, the tissues in the body should return to normal, however a lot of the tissues stay relaxed

[19:30] How does the pelvic floor, core, and neuromuscular system all work together

[23:00] If a women works on her pelvic core while pregnant, will it help her to bounce back quicker

[24:20] Can you overtrain the pelvicore too much that can make pregnancy more difficult

[26:00] What are some of those tri-planar exercises women can do for their pelvicore

[27:20] Do you see a difference in how relaxed the baby gets while going through these exercises

[28:00] Is the stirrups that a women's feet go into during birth good for the birthing process

[31:20] The pelvis is supposed to move through a spiral motion when giving birth

[33:00] Many people assume incontinence is normal, what are your feelings about this

[35:30] What are some symptoms of incontinence

[39:00] How can dysfunction in the pelvic floor region cause orthopedic issues such as acl injuries

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